WAHINGTON, DC -- Today, after Congressional negotiators reached an agreement on a bipartisan $10 billion COVID-19 Supplemental Appropriations package, U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement:

“This money is needed to protect Americans and save lives.  It will help purchase more tests and vaccines and improve public health.  It will ensure medicines and treatments are readily available and hospitals have the supplies they need.  We can’t afford to be complacent or get caught off guard by the next surge.  This bipartisan agreement will improve our preparedness.

“Still, I am disappointed by some of the offsets and that we were not able to get bipartisan cooperation to combat the pandemic globally.  Shortchanging the global response is short-sighted and could lead to the emergence of new, more transmissible variants in other parts of the world.  Blocking global vaccination efforts leaves Americans more vulnerable.”